Records of the Ring

NZ Truth, Issue 770, 7 August 1920, Page 8

Records of the Ring

(By ''SPEARMINT")

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "J.H." (Linwood): Yes, Arthur Cripps beat Jim Griffin on points at Christchurch about eight or nine years ago. "Snowy. Feilcling" (New Plymouth): Denny Murphy still holds the welter championship of New Zealand. Tom S." (Wanganui): Letter- received. As you say, It was a misunderstanding. NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR CHAMPIONS FOR 1920. Bantam— Maddox (Hastings). Feather— Gunn (Tlmaru). Light — Desmond (Wellington). Welter—Lawless (Gisborne). Middle— North (Dunedin). Heavy— McLeary '( Ashburton) . SYDNEY STADIUM. Tingle v. Gray. (By Cable — Special to "Truth.") About eight thousand people went to Rushcutters Bay, on Saturday, to see Billy Tingle and Bobbie Gray bang at each other for twenty strenuous rounds; There was only half-a-pound between the pair and Tingle got the verdict rather easily. Gray was a head for the first few rounds, but after the tenth Tingle went right away, though Gray was always a hard trier for a knock-out. The latter was either not himself or else Tingle ip vastly improved. PUG PARS. Bert Facoorey accompanied by his brother, left here en Tuesday for Stratford. His trafnor claims that lie is m the pink of condition, and Cann will know it before the bout ends on Tuesday next. ' Fred Kay and Harry Stone fought at Perth on July 27, so if the latter is coming over here there is no chance of seeing hhn m action this month. The Greymouth Association has been trying to get Silvino Jamito to come across to New Zealand, but at the latest the dusky one was matched to meet Frank Mancer and Frank Thorn at Brisbane. Los Coghill, the Australian heavyweight, is said to be coming to the Dominion on the look-out for a match with George Cook. The Gisborne welter, "Des" Lawless, who hekl a commission In the New. Zealand Expeditionary Forces and throughout his army career as boxer, was known by tlie soubreciuet of "Knock Out" Lawless, showed m his contest with Rewi Gray at Hastings last week that he had lost none of his war time virility. Gray put tip a good losing fight. A. MXissen, who halls from Christchurch, is a- cool customer, with a perfect sense or distance and excellent timing, but after he gets his blow home he falls into a semi-clinch. H .Gunn, who scored m the featherweight class at Hastings, had a very weak opponent m the old general from Gisborne who went into a smother from tho word "go" and G.unn was doing all he knew to coax him "out of it, even to the point of., indulging m the reprehensible practice of sticking his chin out at him and cheeking him generally. After fighting a losing fight all the way Bardwell was disqualified towards the end of the third round for failing to "box on" after being ordered to do so when Referee Stewart disallowed a claim for a foul. ■ The much-boomed Leckie, who won so easily on. the opening night at Hastings, struck a snag m the youthful Hudson, from Hamilton. Leckie smothered to advantage at times taking many of Hudson's punches on the forearms, but he

I was apt to overdo this as a means of dofenc.fi. Hudson "wanted to tight and j pumped m his punches with a certain i amount oC vigor, whereas Leckie fought \ m patches when Hudson had finished his ; rallies. All the credit of the fight is due ; to Hudson for forcing the Issue. i Greymoulh has a very promising welter m L. O'Neill, who beat Vernal 1 (Hamilton) on the middle night at Hastings, but was outpointed by Lawless m the final. O'Neill is a good two-handed fighter and. more will be heard of him. j P. Desmond, light-weight champion of | New Zealand, was taught his boxing by j Tim Tracy, of Wellington. He would be a welcome acquisition to the professional ranks if he decided to go on with the game for he stands well up to hi 3 | man relying on short, proppy punches to , score his points. j The champion bantam-weight, C. Mad- j dox, hails from Jrlastings and tho whole town' turned out to see him win from W. H. Leckie. He has two good hands and is fast as weil. Chairman Ma'cker- i sey was especially pleased at the victory j of the local boy. I Visiting delegates to the New Zealand Championship meeting at Hastings are loud m their praises or the hospitality . of the PJawke's Bay Association. Every- J body had a royai time and returned home ■ well pleased with the week's outing. j Secretary Rosenberg, of the Hawke's i Bay Boxing Association, assisted by his committee deserves every credit for the way the Championship Tourney was staged last week. "Eosle" and his band ' of workers are dabsters at their allotted j tasks. Who thinks he is the New Zealand Boxing Council, first, last and always? Atack, Atack, Atack. For hiderbound conservatism commend "Spearmint" to the New Zealand Boxing Council, whose religion is "no professional contests." Was there ever more arrant nonsense? Why professional contests are the sole means of support for jthe different Boxing Associations, and "Spearmint" dares the Council to bar them. Another instance of the out-of-date rules of the New Zealand Boxing Council was the disqualification of the Greymouth amateur, Dick Redwing, for having entered into a contest to box a professional bout. These rules are hundreds of years behind the times, and Secretary Atack was quite right when he referred to them at the Hastings smoke-o as being "grand-motherly legislation." The trend of feeling amongst the delegates at Hastings last week was decidedly adverse to the practically selfappointed New Zealand- Boxing Council, and "Spearmint" would not be surprised if a move were made to cut the painter from this derelict constitution and form a new body m the recognised centre of activity with representation from each association as opposed to the present local control at Christchurch. C. Chisnall, runner-up to Gunn for the feather-weight championship of the Dominion, must be congratulated on the sterling fight he put up. Charley has been at the game a long time now, and it would have been a fitting conclusion to his amateur career, had he been adjudged the victor. * As a result of the New Zealand Championship tourney the following team has been selected to represent the Dominion at the Australasian Championships: Bantam, Maddox (Hastings); Feather, Gunn , (Timaru) ; Light-weight, Desmond (Wellington); Welter, Lawless (Gisborne); Heavy-weight, McLeary (Ashburton). Secretary W. H. Atack, of the New Zealand Boxing Council, Is the prince of theorists. Last week at Hastings he requested Referee Mick Stewart to keep outside the ring while officiating. Of course, that official scorned the direction, but the incident tends to show how much our so-called leaders really 1 know about the ethics of boxing. Stewart's action may be construed as a challenge to the arm-chair critics who framed the rules far away back m the Dark Ages. It is impossible to adjudicate on a contest properly from outside the ropes, and we must move with the times — Stewart is handing us out the latost dope from Britain. It is interesting to note that two of the team which represented New Zealand m the British Empire and American Services Tournament at the Albert Hall, London, m December, 1918, were returned winners at Hastings last week. I refer to Harry Gunn and Des Lawless. The hog-fat "Ike" Kutner, who went up with the Wellington team last week, was trainer of the New Zealand team m London. ' " : ■ . That good sportsman, Mr. W. H. Hankins of Palmerston North, donated a very handsome silver cup for the most scientific boxer at Hastings last week. This was won by Harry Gunn, of Timaru, who got Referee Stewart's award. Brian McLeary, the Dunedln-born heavy-weight, upset the apple cart m the final with Brownlee. The latter had disposed of McKenna, Timaru, so decisively on the first night that he wag hailed as a moral. Brownlee had at least a two stone pull m the weights, but the well advised McLeary danced all round him like a master and tms militated against any chance that Brownlee had of producing the sleeping draught, which was m evidence on the opening

night. The Hawke's Bay boy's dummy bore a close resemblance to a butcher's shop at the conclusion of the bout. What is the We! lington^ Association doing towards providing a fight for its patrons? C)abby and Holland is the match of the moment, and "Spearmint" sees no reason why the local fans should be deprived of seeing Clabby m action. At the forthcoming Clabby-Cook mill at Dannevlrke, there should be present delegates from the different associations who can pass judgment on the new arrival with a view to subsequent matches for this well-recommended heavy-weight. At Hastings last week Referee Stewart was sounded as to whether he would be able to officiate at the Holmes-Uren contest at Greymouth, but owing to business reasons he had to decline. The well-known Wellington fan, Mr. Frank McFarland, had a win at Napier last week when lie was mistaken for an American millionaire who is at present touring Oodzone. That worthy did not deny the soft impeachment, but with his ready wit promptly introduced the furcoated Dick Dwyer as his son. The Facoorey-Cann contest takes' place at- Stratford on Tuesday next. Tim Tracy is to referee the bout. The Gisborne Association is . matching Clabby and Lloyd and Pooley and Heeney at show week, m October. F. Holland has started a boxing school m Palmers! on North and also at Fending, and a good number of pupils have enrolled at each place. The Clabby-Cook contest lias been definitely fixed for August 25. The Dannevirke Association is certain to come out on top as the result of the contest, as already Visitors from Wellington, Hastings and many other towns have notified liiefr iniention of. being present. The noxt. New Zealand. Championships are to be held at Greymouth. There is some talk of the Australian heavy-weight, ■ Les Coghill, corning to New Zealand to look for a match with George Cook. ' In the professional contest at New Plymouth lnst weok Thompson beat Brown on points. Both boxers were game and willing, but there was nothing outstanding about the mill. HavJlah Uren has been asked if he will fight Eugene Volaire' at . Auckland and has replied expressing his willingness to go north. Volaire will also try and get a decision. The pair have fought twice so far and each time it 'has been a draw.